Latest From California Healthline:

In California, seven programs were promised five-year grants worth about $7.9 million annually to help teens avoid early parenthood. Now their funding — along with that of scores of similar projects nationally — has been shut off early. (Ana B. Ibarra and Kellen Browning,
7/31)

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News deconstruct the drama leading to the middle-of-the-night collapse of Senate Republicans’ last-ditch effort to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. (7/31)

The Desert Sun:
Planned Parenthood, Others Celebrate Failed Attempt To Repeal Obamacare With Rally In Palm Springs
Planned Parenthood was in the mood to celebrate Saturday morning, after the U.S. Senate failed in its latest attempt to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act – more commonly known as Obamacare – and held a rally at Frances Stevens Park in Palm Springs. ... The Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest office in Coachella, which organized Saturday’s Palm Springs event, provides healthcare and programs for more than 35,000 people in Riverside County alone. (Barkas, 7/29)

Capital Public Radio:
Obamacare 'Skinny Repeal' Fails. What's Next For California?
California has made big gains in the Affordable Care Act, enrolling more people that any other state. Many of them were carefully watching as the U.S. Senate failed to pass what's called the “skinny repeal.” Now, experts and patient advocates are looking at what might come next for the five million people enrolled under Obamacare. (Caiola, 7/28)

President Donald Trump, following the defeat of the GOP health proposal, says Republicans looked "like fools" and should not give up on passing legislation.

The New York Times:
Trump Tells G.O.P. Senators Not To Be ‘Total Quitters’ On Health Bill
President Trump on Saturday scolded Congress for looking “like fools” and urged Republican senators not to be “total quitters” as he insisted that his push to overhaul the nation’s health care law remained viable, the day after it was rejected by the Senate. To reinforce his demand, the president threatened to cut lawmakers’ own health insurance plans if Congress failed to revive the flagging seven-year effort to roll back the medical care program of former President Barack Obama. (Haberman, 7/29)

The Wall Street Journal:
Donald Trump Threatens To Cancel Some Health-Care Benefits For Lawmakers
For months, Mr. Trump has threatened to stop reimbursements to insurance companies—a part of the ACA—but his administration has always paid them in the end, including amid significant uncertainty in June and at a crucial moment in GOP negotiations just a week ago in July. The next set of payments, which total millions of dollars for insurers that have lowered deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for the poorest enrollees in coverage under the law also known as Obamacare, is due in three weeks. (Radnosfky, 7/29)

The Wall Street Journal:
Key Issue In Health-Care Battle: Insurance Subsidies
As health insurers weigh their commitments to the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges for 2018, they point to a key issue that will affect the rates they would charge and indeed whether they will participate at all: Federal subsidies known as cost-sharing reduction payments. Those payments are likely to be a major focus as the industry pushes Congress to pass legislation aimed at stabilizing the exchanges. (Mathews, 7/28)

Politico:
Lawsuits Could Force Feds To Pay Obamacare Insurers
A pending court decision could force the Trump administration to pump billions of dollars into Obamacare insurers, even as the president threatens to let the health care law “implode.” Health insurers have filed nearly two dozen lawsuits claiming the government owes them payments from a program meant to blunt their losses in the Obamacare marketplaces. That raises the prospect that the Trump administration will have to bankroll a program the GOP has pilloried as an insurer bailout. (Demko, 7/30)

Politico:
Centrist Lawmakers Plot Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Bill
A coalition of roughly 40 House Republicans and Democrats plan to unveil a slate of Obamacare fixes Monday they hope will gain traction after the Senate’s effort to repeal the law imploded. The Problem Solvers caucus, led by Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), is fronting the effort to stabilize the ACA markets, according to multiple sources. But other centrist members, including Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), and several other lawmakers from the New Democrat Coalition and the GOP’s moderate Tuesday Group are also involved. (Caygle and Demko, 7/30)

The Washington Post:
What’s Next For The Affordable Care Act Now That Repeal Has Failed?
The Affordable Care Act has reshaped the nation’s health-care landscape in a way the country has not seen since the passage of Great Society programs in the 1960s. For more than seven years, it has been the foundation for a slew of new regulations and a massive redistribution of funds within the medical system. And it has changed what Americans expect of their government — which is why Republicans, despite having used the ACA as a political rallying cry for seven years, have encountered such difficulty in peeling it back. (Eilperin, 7/28)

The New York Times:
How To Repair The Health Law (It’s Tricky But Not Impossible)
Republicans have failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Now, can it be repaired? The seven-year-old law has survived Supreme Court decisions and aggressive attempts to extinguish it by Republicans in Congress and the White House. But even people who rely on its coverage agree that it still has big problems. The question for the roughly 20 million Americans who buy their own health coverage — and for millions of others who remain uninsured — is what can realistically be done to address their main concerns: high prices and lack of choice in many parts of the country. (Abelson, Goodnough and Thomas, 7/29)

The New York Times:
Behind Legislative Collapse: An Angry Vow Fizzles For Lack Of A Viable Plan
The closing argument was a curious one: Vote yes, Republican leaders told the holdouts in their conference. We promise it will never become law. After seven years of railing against the evils of the Affordable Care Act, the party had winnowed its hopes of dismantling it down to a menu of options to appease recalcitrant lawmakers — with no more pretenses of lofty policy making, only a realpolitik plea to keep the legislation churning through the Capitol by voting to advance something, anything. They ended up with nothing. (Flegenheimer, Martin and Steinhauer, 7/28)

The New York Times:
How Schumer Held Democrats Together Through A Health Care Maelstrom
Over the past week, as Senate Republicans feverishly cobbled together their doomed health care bill, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, made several quiet visits to the private “hideaway” office of John McCain, Republican of Arizona, near the Senate chamber on the Capitol’s first floor. Senator McCain, who recently received a brain cancer diagnosis, was nervous about the bill, which he thought would harm people in his state, and elegiac about members of his storied family, reminiscing about them at some length. (Steinhauer, 7/29)

The regulations against "balance billing" went into effect at the beginning of the month. The San Diego Union-Tribune offers a look at what exactly those rules protect against.

San Diego Union-Tribune:
Insurance Company Won't Pay Entire Medical Bill? New State Rules Will Help
California this month instituted some of the nation’s toughest rules against “balance billing,” which has affected tens of millions of patients over the years. ... In other words, the hospital where the patient is staying may be under contract with that person’s insurance company — so it’s considered an in-network arrangement. But certain surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, ambulance companies and others providing service at that hospital may not be part of the network, and they can charge rates higher than the usual contracted amounts. (Sisson, 7/31)

The league gave $30 million to the institute to study brain damage in football players, but disagreement over how the money should be spent has plagued researchers.

Los Angeles Times:
NIH To Walk Away From $16 Million Of NFL Gift For Brain Research
Five years ago, four months after the suicide of legendary linebacker Junior Seau, the NFL donated $30 million to the National Institutes of Health for brain research. At the time, the league said its “unrestricted gift” was the largest donation in its history and would help fund a new Sports and Health Research Program to be conducted in collaboration with institutes and centers at the NIH. (Farmer, 7/28)

In other public health news —

The Washington Post:
FDA Aims To Lower Nicotine In Cigarettes To Get Smokers To Quit
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it wants to reduce the nicotine in cigarettes to make them less addictive. The unexpected announcement sent shares of tobacco companies plummeting and sparked praise among some public health advocates. If successful, the effort would be the first time the government has tried to get the Americans to quit cigarettes by reaching beyond warning labels or taxes to attacking the actual addictive substance inside. (McGinley and Wan, 7/28)

Los Angeles Times:
Maybe This Is Why You Can't Lose The Weight
After decades of pushing single plans and products that didn’t prove effective for a large chunk of the population, the health and wellness industry is finally zeroing in on more precise solutions tailored to the individual. Here’s a look at some of the latest programs, tools and products designed to take your overall health to the next level. (Fulmer, 7/30)

NPR:
Scientists Still Seek A Reliable DUI Test For Marijuana
Here's the rub: Despite the increasingly legal use of cannabis in many states, cops still don't have the equivalent of a reliable alcohol breathalyzer or blood test — a chemically based way of estimating what the drug is doing in the brain. Though a blood test exists that can detect some of marijuana's components, there is no widely accepted, standardized amount in the breath or blood that gives police or courts or anyone else a good sense of who is impaired. (Bichell, 7/30)

Ventura County Star:
Hearing-Impaired Kids Learn There Are 'No Limits'
All students in No Limits have hearing aids or cochlear implants. They range from three to 14 years of age, and have their own individual language goals. Over the course of eight weeks, the students meet with their tutors for one-hour sessions and practice their language skills. (Childs, 7/29)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Toxic Pollution In Roseland A Big Concern For Santa Rosa In Annexation
Roseland has one of the highest concentrations in the city of industrial and commercial properties with soil and groundwater contaminated by toxic substances such as gasoline, diesel and chemical solvents. Leaking underground gas station tanks, motor oil from salvage yards, and chemicals dumped down the drain by dry cleaning businesses have all made Roseland a hot spot for environmental clean-up efforts over recent decades. (McCallum, 7/29)

East Bay Times:
Hot Weather Forecast Prompts Warning For People With Breathing Problems
Bay Area residents with breathing ailments should take precautions to protect themselves from hot temperatures over the next five or six days, regional air quality regulators advised Saturday. ... Even though smog is not expected to reach unhealthy levels on Sunday, the heat could exacerbate symptoms of those with asthma or other compromised respiratory conditions, warns the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. (Cuff, 7/29)

According to the lawsuit, Robert Hopkins suffered a total of nine falls from the time he was admitted to Valley Convalescent Hospital in June 2015 to his death on March 1.

Bakersfield Californian:
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Bakersfield Hospital In Connection With Patient's Death
An elder neglect and wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a Bakersfield hospital in the death of an 80-year-old Korean War veteran who fell from his bed after a nursing assistant failed to properly set a side rail, attorneys with Chain Cohn Stiles said Thursday. The lawsuit, filed Thursday against Valley Convalescent Hospital, comes a week after the facility received a $100,000 fine and Class AA Citation, the most severe penalty under state law, in connection with the death. (Kotowski, 7/27)

In other news from across the state —

Los Angeles Times:
Pasadena-Based Mental Health Agency To Provide More Direct On-Site Support For Magnolia Park Students
Pasadena-based mental health agency will provide more direct on-site educational support services for special-needs students enrolled at Magnolia Park School for the upcoming school year. The Burbank Unified School District contracted with Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services during a board meeting last week to provide services at Magnolia Park, which offers enrollment for elementary through high school students with significant behavioral and emotional challenges. (Vega, 7/28)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Plans Advance For New Health Care Center In Cloverdale
Plans for a new $16 million wellness center for Alexander Valley Healthcare advanced last week after the City Council approved an agreement to exclusively negotiate with the health center to sell a portion of the city-owned property to the nonprofit entity for an undisclosed price. The agreement will help the health center secure some grant funding for a long-planned new home and move out of a cramped facility serving a steadily growing number of patients. (Mason, 7/30)

Los Angeles Times:
Despite Complaints, Judge Says Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility Can Reopen
A state appeals court judge ruled Saturday that Southern California Gas Co. can resume operations at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, the source of the biggest methane leak in the country’s history. On Friday, L.A. County had been granted a temporary restraining order that would have halted the reopening. But a judge ordered the stay lifted on Saturday after the gas company filed a motion opposing the stay. (Karlamangla, 7/29)

East Bay Times:
For Bay Area Family Affected By Rare Disease, Renewed Hope
Matt Wilsey, Grace’s dad, is part of the prominent, wealthy Wilsey family of San Francisco. He’s also a tech entrepreneur familiar and comfortable with the startup life who also happens to have gigs at the White House and the Department of Defense on his resume. So when doctors told him and his wife, Kristen, that they weren’t sure what was wrong with their baby girl, his response wasn’t entirely traditional. “Jump into the deep end and start swimming,” he said. “I’m not going to sit on the edge and wait for the raft.” (Deruy, 7/30)

San Jose Mercury News:
Make 'Em Bleed: Roller Derby Skaters Kick Off Blood Drive
Saturday’s “Make ‘Em Bleed’’ annual roller derby blood drive kicked off a series of summertime American Red Cross events scheduled nationwide in partnership with local roller derby teams during what is normally one of the toughest times of year for such donations. Created by ticketing company Brown Paper Tickets and Jerry Seltzer, the Sonoma-based son of the inventor of roller derby, the blood drive’s catchy title was enough to draw 59-year-old John Cook to the event at the Silver Creek Sportsplex near his Evergreen home. (Seipel, 7/29)

KQED:
Former Oakland Mayor Quan’s Medical Pot Shop Faces Fierce Opposition
A plan to open a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco’s Sunset District — put forth by former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and her husband, Floyd Huen — faces fierce opposition. Opponents filed an appeal with San Francisco’s Planning Commission yesterday. They argue that the dispensary would violate California law because it would be less than 600 feet from a preschool. (Hutson, 7/28)

The Desert Sun:
How Pure Is Coachella Valley Tap Water? Environmental Group's Guidelines Spark Debate
The Washington-based nonprofit [Environmental Working Group] collected data on local water tests from state agencies and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and said 267 contaminants were detected in drinking water supplies across the country, including 93 linked to increased risks of cancer, such as benzene, 1,4-dioxane and nitrates. For many cities across California, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, the database lists carcinogens in the drinking water such as hexavalent chromium and trihalomethanes at levels within legal limits but exceeding EWG’s own “health guidelines." (James, 7/28)